The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2’s ending contained a big reveal, which Tolkien expert Dr. Corey Olsen has said doesn’t break the original author’s canon. The Rings of Power season 2 ends with the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) going to see Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), revealing he understands he was supposed to save his Harfoot and Stoor friends from the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). During their conversation, he decides his name is Gandalf, following the Stoors referring to him as “Grand Elf” earlier in the episode.

In a video posted by The Lord of the Rings on Prime, Olsen explains how the Stranger being Gandalf doesn’t mean The Rings of Power broke original canon, explaining why. The Tolkien Professor and President of Signum University elaborated on how Tolkien did say Wizards arrived in Middle-earth during the Third Age, but that, later on, he toyed with the idea of some of them taking part in the Second Age. He also explained how Gandalf’s history with Middle-earth and the many names he goes by factors into the idea of his longevity there. Check out what Olsen said below:

First thing to specify is that there’s no such thing, really, as canon in Tolkien. Tolkien’s ideas were ever-evolving. In the text of The Lord of the Rings , we are told that Gandalf, with the other Wizards, arrived at around year 1000 of the Third Age. And in his later years, he was playing with the idea of maybe Gandalf coming sooner, maybe some of the Wizards coming in the Second Age, and taking part in the Wars of The Rings of Power.

He’s known as Mithrandir among the Elves and in Gondor. He’s known as Gandalf in the North, he’s known as Tharkûn to the Dwarves. And he’s known as Incánus in the South. When he lived in Valinor among the Gods, his name was Olóran. So it suggests he’s been around lots of places, has impacted many different communities and many different Peoples, and they’ve known him under many different names. That same passage where he talks about his different names, he says, “To the East, I go not.” When we look at that quote in context, he’s talking to a dude from Gondor, and the people of Gondor, they call Mordor “the East.” He meant, “Don’t expect me to go throw down with, you know, the Dark Lord at the gates of Barad-dûr.

What Dr. Corey Olsen’s Explanation Means For The Rings Of Power

Gandalf’s Presence In The Second Age Is Possible

Out of every character in The Rings of Power season 2, the Stranger has been the most mysterious, gathering very little concrete information about his purpose for the majority of the season. It’s not until he’s forced to face off against the Dark Wizard, saving the Stoors in the process, that he finally understands his destiny is to protect Middle-earth. Adopting the name Gandalf marks a slight change to Tolkien’s original writing, but, according to Olsen, doesn’t necessarily result in the canon of his works being broken.

Gandalf’s many names also factor into this idea, as widespread knowledge of him across Middle-earth means he’d need plenty of time to reveal himself to the Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Since the Prime Video show is condensing many events in the Second Age into a smaller time frame, it makes sense within their canon for Gandalf to arrive sooner. This could mean a much larger role for him in a potential The Rings of Power season 3, potentially resulting in him helping multiple races across the world, making a name for himself as an ally to them.

Our Take On The Stranger Being Gandalf In The Rings Of Power

His Identity Seemed Obvious From The Start

Custom image by Ana Nieves

Ever since the Stranger first fell from the sky, it seemed obvious to me that he would end up being Gandalf. This grew as his powers increased, making it feel like a unique twist on Tolkien’s work. Hearing from Olsen that this doesn’t actually break canon, however, gives The Rings of Power a bit more justification for the twist, even if they’ve condensed and altered other parts of his original work. It also makes me interested to see where they’ll take his character now that he’s living in Rhûn with Tom.

Although The Rings of Power season 3 hasn’t been officially renewed yet, Amazon has plans though season 5 of the fantasy series.